Business News – Clothes, Markets and The Guardian.

Longer Lasting Clothes.

There is an increasing trend towards making clothes last longer using a combination of new technologies and fabric treatments as well as great design and excellent manufacture. Of course, these clothes are more expensive in the short term, but over their lifetime, they have much better lifetime value.

In every business, a question to ask, if you are seeking to build sustainable profits and long-term relationships with customers, is how new technologies can be married to older skills and methods to make something longer lasting, and better value.

World Markets, Oil and China.

It’s been a torrid week on world markets. Oil prices are falling, Chinese stock markets are also falling significantly, dragging other markets down. Financial markets are volatile and changes are measured in milliseconds, yet that volatility is about as far from the reality of the underlying businesses value, as you can get. There will be impacts in the wider market, and many economists are worrying about what this means for the economy. Iranian sanctions are also being removed, and so oil prices will fall further as world supply increases. If ever there was a time for businesses to take a long term view it is now.

In the long run, business sustainability comes from having a mindset of permanence and solidity in approach, in products, and service. When businesses do that, they can always ride out short-term market volatility.

Traditional Journalism.

Recognised as one of the most successful newspapers in the digital environment of today’s fast moving news reporting, the FT is reporting that the Guardian will have to take significant measures to reduce costs. With over £70M more cash spent than raised in the last year those cuts are likely to be severe. Even though it is one of the most used and well-shared newspaper sites, the impact of ad-blockers online, and a significant fall in print advertising demand will be hitting revenue hard.

Audience alone is not enough, especially in a market whose prime purpose has a massive oversupply of free versions of that product. Like all newspapers, the Guardian has to be a way to engage audiences with content that they are prepared to pay for, delivered in different and compelling ways. All businesses can find their markets distorted by new technologies and changing preferences; it is up to every business owner to be sure they prepare well.